Jordan York – Put Down the Phone

Jordan York from Pittsburgh wants you to put down your phone. That’s literally the message of his new hip hop song “Put Down the Phone,” where he laments the de-personalization of social interaction with the advent of modern technological gadgetry. Personally I like the way tech allows me to avoid interacting with people I have no interest in communicating with (of which there are many,) but I will admit it can be annoying hanging out with someone who is texting nonstop or obsessed with obtaining validation on social media. The aesthetic of the video is well done, with the boardgame scenes being highly effective at communicating the artist’s message. Of course there is some irony in the fact that this public service announcement is being promoted in a Youtube music video, but better to use the machine against itself than throw a note in a paper airplane that no one will read. York is a capable rapper and it’s a pretty good song overall. My guess is that many people will find it refreshing and vocally applaud the sentiment while ultimately not putting down their own phone.